Customer Reviews

Come On, Rain

5 star:		(20)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The art work which accompanies this magnificently written, poetic tale is just as remarkable as the carefully chosen delightful words. If you live in the desert, as we do,this is a must-have-book. Over the stifling summer months I read the book time and again with my two year old daughter as we eagerly awaited the arrival of the monsoon rains and each time the simple joy of summer rain leapt out at us from both the pictures and the words. I'm not a writer, so it would take me an eternity to express how very special this book is. Simply put, you will have missed something very special if you never allow yourself the pleaure of soaking up the atmosphere created by this small masterpiece. Invest in a real treasure. If I could give it 10 out of 5 I would. BUY IT.

This is a beautifully written story of a young girl and her mother waiting for rain. It's magical and lyrical and a must read! The illustrations match the text brilliantly and are stunning in their own right. Karen Hesse is not only a wonderful writer of novels for middle-grade readers, she shines as a picture book author as well. Bravo!!

This lyrical ode to the coming rain, accompanied by the soothing wash of lush watercolors, make Hesse's Come on, Rain! sure to please young children. In prose that reads like poetry, young Tessie bemoans the heat of summer while waiting with confidence that rain will soon come. Along with her multicultural friends and all their mammas, Tessie dances in gratitude for the refreshing wetness the rain bestows. While the lyrical prose is of such beautiful quality it could stand on its own, the soft watercolor illustrations portray the emotions of the characters in such lovely detail; the two, the prose and illustrations, combine to create a delightful work of art. Even with the vertical lines of rain which one would expect to stop the motion of the story, Muth manages to create a sense of flowing from left to right, page to page, in keeping with the cadence of the text by using achromatic colors for the backgrounds of most pages. Recommended for children ages 4-8. Public librarians may want to share this title in a storytime about rain, along with Bill Martin's Listen to the Rain.

"Come on, rain!" are the fervent words of Tess, as she looks toward the sky with a great deal of anticipation and hope. It has not rained in 3 weeks. Therefore, everyone in Tess's neighborhood and city was hoping for rain to bring relief from the scorching heat. Well, the best part of this story is that it seems her fervent words finally reached the clouds; for "over rooftops, past chimneys, into the way off distance . . . clouds came rolling in." As soon as Tess realizes that her wish for rain was on the way, she quickly gathers her close friends together (and their mothers too) to run, dance and play in the wonderful rain showers that fall upon the city.

The watercolor illustrations of Jon Muth do an excellent job of enhancing the movement of Ms. Hesse's story. The opening illustrations of bright yellow and gold give readers a sense of how hot and oppressive the heat was for Tess's neighborhood and city. Gradually as the rain clouds moves in, hues of soft grays, brown, and greens are used to depict the moments just before rain falls from the sky. By the time rain actually comes, the illustrations are filled with splashes of pink, violet and blues, which represent the renewal of spirit and feelings of relief for all in the city. You know, this is more than just another weather story! It is a story that shows how rain, a powerful element of nature, has the ability to invigorate all of life!

I was quite surprised last year that this title did not win an award. I've been collecting children's picture books for over twenty years and this one is a wonderful example of the special blend of illustration and text. You don't read this book, you sense internally every emotion and feeling of the little girl. There's an actual shift of temperature in my personal space as the storm approaches. I was especially pleased to see the "moms" join in the fun...letting the inner child out once in a while is good advice for us all.

Touched by "Out of the Dust", the 1998 Newbery Medal winner by Karen Hesse, I was delighted to see a picture book by the same author. The spare and lyric writing of "Come On, Rain" is equally rhythmic and beautiful. I live in the Pacific Northwest, and reading the book made me crave for a quenching (rather than drenching) rain. As a new teacher building her classroom library, I don't often spring for a new Hardback book at full price, but I immediately purchased "Come On, Rain."

This book is short and simple, but wonderful and imaginative.

I can't exactly tell if it is set in the 50s, 60s, or 70's, but it does not seem like a modern-day story. There is a great innocence and magic about it that isn't readily apparent in a 1990s tale.

Jon Muth again proves himself to be a master watercolorist. He opts or a somewhat cartoony style for the main characters, fitting for the subject matter and age group of this story.

The story itself brings alive the wonder of a simple rainstorm in the hot summer days of the City. There is no racial issue, there is no crime, there is no anything to keep the children (and adults) from being filled with the joy of a summer shower.

I bought this book simply to sample Mr. Muth's marvelous watercolors, but it is a real treat for those with youngsters as well.

The title of the book is Come On, Rain by Karen Hesse. Thisbook is about a girl named Tessie. Tessie wants it to rain because itis so hot. ... I liked this book because it has rain and sunshine. I also liked the drawing of Momma's hat. YOU SHOULD READ THIS BOOK because it has a lot of beautiful pictures in it.

"Come On, Rain" is a beautifully written and illustrated story of a young girl on a sweltering summer day waiting for a cooling rain. I read a copy at the local library and I am going to buy my own copy. It was a lovely book. I HIGHLY recommend it!

I have noticed that many African American books, such as this one, have the feature of using broken english in their writings. As an African American mother and teacher I have a problem with this. While this may be the talk SOME African American children hear at home it does not speak to everyone nor it is a feature of our culture. This book did however met one of my hopes for black literature, it was a story with african americans that did not speak of racial pride or nappy hair.
I would like to see more books with normal themes (family,weather, good behavior etc)because being black does not stop at or only include broken english, black pride, dark skin and nappy hair.